Airline Passenger Screening

[Nick_Loves_Abba]

Give the pilot a gun and the co-pilot a gun, and the airmarshal a tazar, and we're all set.

 

[Michael0701]

Nothing is 100%. But something which causes them to "change" or "adapt" creates a delay in execution. And during the delay, maybe their arrest or deaths. Which in the long run may actually save some lives. Lets face it, it's gonna be a while before they come over here to get flight training and comandeer a jumbo jet and fly into a skyscraper. But it doesn't mean they won't try something else.

As for databases, to me it's a different world we live in and we can't turn back the hands of time. I'm sure that I am on a fed database and on a watch list because of my past and would love to be able to do something about it to stop the problems I and my wife have been having while flying. If it means an interview, I'd give it in a heartbeat. I would love to have a some sort of ID card which would take "their" (Homeland Security) fear and concern away.

As for guns in the passenger compartment, I may be confusing the future with the present, but I think that they have advanced ballistic technology to the point where the bullet can do it's job on human flesh, but still not have enough mustard to pierce the bulkhead. Anyone else hear of this?

 

[Paula]

Suggested ways to deal with this that I've seen are to write congressmen/senators, to remove yourself from all shopping mailing lists -- notifying stores in writing or by email why you're doing so --, and to similarly notify airlines of your intention not to fly.

Sadly, none of the above will do any good. The following information is already contained in federal, state, and municipal databases: birth certificates, marriage licenses, death certificates, social security numbers, I.R.S. tax records, insurance data, even "private" medical information. Every time you go to the doctor's office, that visit and your diagnosis get recorded. Under the new HIPPA Privacy amendment which was enacted in the spring of last year, even your doctor's office can release your confidential info, including phone numbers, to outside marketing agencies. Read that Privacy Release very carefully before you sign it.

As I stated in my earlier posts I think the intention with this new airport color-coding system is to level the playing field for everyone. If we all give up our rights to privacy and carry some sort of federal ID, there is no racial discrimination, and this is what's really bugging the ACLU.

Let's also not forget all of those lawsuits that took place after 911 and the hard hit taken by insurance carriers who had to pay for all the damage. As concerned as they are with liability, airlines carry disaster insurance, and it's common practice for insurance companies to order preventive back-up systems to avert disasters. Some property insurance companies have even dropped terrorist coverage from their policies because it's gotten so expensive, so there's a lot more to this than meets the eye.

 

[sunshine]

2 - Canada hasn't had any 100 story buildings knocked down. Customs being a summer job for college students will end quickly the first time they have a nice big terrorist attack. M

customs is NOT just a summer job for university/college students here in Canada. we have excellent security at our airports, I can speak personally after having flown from Toronto many times.
when I flew from Toronto to NYC in April 2003, the security in Toronto was far superior than that of NYC (ironically!). I was flying with my brother (he was 22, I was 23 at the time). in Toronto, we both got "randomly" drug-searched (funny how the "randomly" chosen few were all young), had the metal detector complete with friskings - note the plural! (I actually had to take off my belt and undo my top jeans button and show a little midriff to prove I wasn't hiding anything around my waist), and my brother got thoroughly questioned with his camera equipment (which he was bringing for a photo shoot in NYC. three customs officials practically took it apart). when flying home from NYC, all we had was the metal detector, and we had to take off our shoes. I felt a lot safer flying out of T.O. than NYC!
my most recent airplane trip was to Cuba in August, 2003 and the security was just as tight then out of Toronto. my parents flew in December, and they almost missed their flight due to over 2 1/2 hrs of security to go through.
I don't even know what to say to your little threat of Canada needing to be more aware of security or we'll have a terrorist attack. I just give you the benefit of the doubt that it was said "in the moment" and that you don't truly mean that.